Monday, March 30, 2009

The Most Embarrassing Moments in Politics

The Mandate Blog, in honour of Jacqui Smith has compiled a list of Top 7 Embarrassing Moments in Politics. They are...

1. Neil Kinnock falling in the sea.
2. John Redwood & the Welsh anthem
3. Al & Tipper Gore's Convention kiss
4. William Hague's 14 pints boast
5. Peter Costello's embarrassing singing
6. Peter Lilley's little list
7. Tony Blair sweating at the Labour conference

I suspect it would be easy to get this list to 50 fairly quickly... Over to you.

90 comments:

Malcolm Redfellow said...

A political commentator and blogger who cannot spell "embarrassing"?

Neil said...

Jackie Smith would definitely make the top 10 with ease. The other two I would put in the top 10 are John Prescott's left hook and Ted Heath's incident with the custard. I would say Mandy's incident with the custard too, but I don't like the cause of the protester, there were many better reasons to throw custard at Mandy.

Unknown said...

Neil Kinnock party speech,

"well alright" "well alright"

Gordon Brown - It started in America

King Athelstan said...

That Joe Biden "stand up" thing.

Michael Foot 1983 "Have you seen the Wrexham result?"

George Bush tries to exit through the wrong door.

Tony Blair in those tight fitting pants.

Steve H said...

Thank you!!

I've never seen that kiss mentioned before as a yukky moment but I've never forgotten it. No feeling in it - just I'll press my lips as hard as possible against yours.

Jon Lishman said...

"We have become a grandmother".

Pluralis majestatis and all that.

Well, she might have been our greatest post-war PM but boy, this one still makes me cringe.

Tom said...

Miliband's "Hestletine moment"... and his "banana moment" the next morning

Eddie 180 said...

Unfortunately, Eric Pickles attempt to justify his 2nd home allowance on Question Time, just the other evening.

It was one of the most toe curling experiences I have had to endure as a Conservative.

Anonymous said...

1992, TORY David Mellor sex scandal...

The SUN >>> "From Toe Job to No Job" on its front page.

classic.


:)

Not that Nick Wood said...

The slow handclap at the WI.

Salmondnet said...

I know I am adding to my RSI to no purpose, but I have to defend Hague.

I was brought up in a pub in the days when there was a lot of food and not much alcohol in beer. Draymen who were not driving often had a couple of (free) pints after each delivery and sweated it out at the next one. If Hague was doing this work, fourteen pints might have been an exaggeration, but it was probably not a gross exaggeration.

Anonymous said...

Get ready to cringe cringe cringe >>

Another classic Tory sex scandal >>>

The John Major and Edwina Currie affair...

OMG doesn't it just make feel queasy thinking about it!!

;)

Jeff said...

I guess it would only squeeze into any Top 50 but I found Gordon Brown clinging on for dear life while Bush did some joyriding and laughing in that golf buggy rather funny, and not a little embarrassing for our dear PM.

Anonymous said...

Remember this grim Tory tale from 1994...

Stephen Milligan MP

"The discovery of his corpse in what was presumed to be a state of auto-erotic asphyxiation, combined with self-bondage and cross-dressing, led to a greater public awareness of auto-erotic asphyxiation and self-bondage and their risks."

"A bizarre detail of his death, which was the subject of much comment and speculation at the time, was that he was found to have had an orange segment in his mouth at the time of his death.
At the time of his death he was engaged to Julie Kirkbride, now Conservative MP for Bromsgrove."

"Milligan's death significantly contributed to ending John Major's "Back to Basics" policy initiative."

" Most commentators reflected that the circumstances of the MP's demise were a personal tragedy that unjustly overshadowed his achievements in life and his promising political career. Meanwhile, PM John Major branded the events and circumstances leading to Milligan's death as being "rather sad"."

Gareth said...

Paxman vs Howard.

The dancing to 'Things can only get better' in 1997 (particularly Kinnock and Prescott).

Daniel1979 said...

Bill Clinton Mouthing the words "I Love You" to Hilary during the Democratic convention last year.

I cringed so much I got back ache

Anonymous said...

I thought it was really great when David Miliband said on Question Time that it wouldn't be long before the public would be begging Tony Blair to come back as PM!

hehe

Andrew said...

Howard Dean's "I have a scream" speech;

Michael Portaloo and his "Who dares wins" guff (complete with pudding bowl haircut);

Diane Abbot - "Every white person is racist";

Derek Draper, full-stop.

Conand said...

Waking up in the morning and realising you're Gordon Brown.

David Lammy on Mastermind.

Militant Protests at various Labour Conferences.

"go back to your constituencies and prepare for government."

Prescott's midweek game of croquet.

Churchill losing the '45 election. Damn!

Daniel1979 said...

...oh and the Badger Hunter Ron Davies. Very embarrassing

Anonymous said...

Millions of George Bush moments...

Loved it when he walked into the closed door. What a plonker.

:)

Span Ows said...

Ditto Eddie's comment (4:30) I like Eric pickles and I'm a Conservative by nature and action BUT it does show that they're all at the trough and as Iain said in an earlier post it needs sorting NOW!

word verification 'packed'

...nice

Anonymous said...

That AWFUL photo of William Hague wearing the naffest baseball cap in the world. So deeply uncool.

:)

Anonymous said...

I agree with the many above, Eric Pickles performance on Question Time last week made me want to weep and then slap him in the head!

Pickles was soooooo dreadful!

;)

Simon Gardner said...

I used to have a link to video of the Peter Lilley conference disaster (which I've posted here before) but it’s in my faithful PowerBook laptop which is in for repair.

However it’s easier to find John Redwood.

Jim Baxter said...

The above, plus:

Portillo's 'S.A.S!'

Hesletine's hop.

Mandelson's 'I am a fighter!'

Unknown said...

Blair soliciting applause when he finished "goodbye" speech in Sedgefield and hand picked audience didn't realise he had finished.

David Davis soliciting standing ovation at Tory party conference.

Margaret Thatcher - Two Little Boys (aaaaargh)

Conand said...

&

Prescott's sexual antics.

Pitt failing to convince George III to give Irish Catholics the vote. Feeling he had to resign. :(

Pitt having to try and convince Parliament that the King wasn't a complete loon.

Heath's laugh.

Gordon Brown being like totally owned by Dan 'The Man' Hannan.

Alistair Campbell having another mental breakdown live on Channel 4.

Dr David Kelly committing suicide.

Obama trying to walk into the White House through a window.

Bill Clinton: "It depends on what the meaning of the words 'is' is."

Known knowns and known unknowns.

2 Jags' very short drive to conference.

The Labour activist bloke getting arrested at their conference. For shouting at Jack Straw. Who wouldn't?

Kim Philby scandal.

Profumo affair.

Getting RSI :) There are some anyway.

Jon Lishman said...

Blair's 2003 speech to Congress. Horrific lickspittle cringe.

"I know this is...kind of late, but sorry." et al

eughhh.

pxcentric said...

It's Paddy Pantsdown

Jon Lishman said...

Last one:

Ian Duncan-Smith - the Quiet Man.

Huh?

Another perfect 10 on the cringeometer.

Anonymous said...

Cherie Blair singing a Beatles song in China?

That did happen, right? It wasn't a bad LSD trip? tell me it really happened...

pxcentric said...

Craig Murray saying he'd rather take himself in hand than give ol' Jackboots one. The cad!

Martin S said...

Brown becoming Prime Minister.
Brown absent-mindedly picking his nosae and putting his finger in his mouth. In the House. On TV.

Anonymous said...

John Edwards (Democrat) locking himself into a hotel bathroom at 3m to avoid the papparazzi chasing him...they caught him visiting his LURVEchild.

;)

Anonymous said...

3am !

Simon Gardner said...

Oh, Search for Lilley etc on google found my old post and the link of Peter Lilley’s greatest hit.

Plenty said...

What about Phil Woolas's pied?

If you are talking about just MPs then fine, but what about Draper's gaffe last week on DP, 'we publish every year,' and then, 'we haven't published it yet!'

Theo Blackwell's blog said...

Nick Clegg having no idea what the basic state pension is...

AloneMan said...

Iain Dale losing his temper on BBC Radio Wales.

:-)

Conand said...

canvas said...

'Cherie Blair singing a Beatles song in China?
That did happen, right? It wasn't a bad LSD trip? tell me it really happened...'

Thanks canvas. I'd blanked that from my mind, doctor's orders.

This reminds me of another few:

Cherie: Getting PAID to open a shopping centre whie on an official trip with Tone.

Cherie: Apologizing for the Bristol flats fiddle.

Cherie: Getting caught by the press calling Brown a liar.

Conand said...

*while

Charles Kennedy totally failing to explain(understand?) his own local income tax policy while campaigning at the general election.

Catosays said...

Jeremy Thorpe...'Bunnies can and will go to France'.

Poor old Norman just laid there and bit the pillow.

Patrick said...

Guido Fawkes appearing as a mysterious silhouette on Newsnight!

Martin S said...

Canvas wrote: Remember this grim Tory tale from 1994...

Stephen Milligan MP


Yes, but this was not embarrassing for Mr Milligan, I think you will find. He was dead and well out of it...

Not A. Loon said...

Surely it must be Mark Oaten's unusual appetite.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coprophilia

Patrick said...

George Bush Snr vomiting on the Japanese PM.

Jimmy said...

If we're going international, how can we overlook Brian Cowen and the white House autocue? Reading your hosts speech by accident takes some beating.

no longer anonymous said...

Harman making a fool of Alan Duncan on QT a few months back when she quoted the tories on mortgage de-regulation. Really made me cringe.

"Michael Foot 1983 "Have you seen the Wrexham result?""

Aethelstan - what was that all about?

Oldrightie said...

Brown's toilet habits?

Chucklenuts said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
no longer anonymous said...

Gordon Brown getting lost in Buckingham Palacem Gordon Brown with his trousers tucked into his socks, Gordon Brown coliding with a plant pot (was that in India?), Gordon Brown with that orange mark on his face etc

no longer anonymous said...

http://www.order-order.com/2008/04/gordon-loses-his-way-again-with-plp/ - ah yes, here are most of them.

Anoneumouse said...

David Cameron

I will withdraw the Conservative Party from the EPP by Christmas. (Frimley 23/11/05)

.

Bill Quango MP said...

Johnathen Aitken "Sword of Truth".

Not strictly political but Littlejohn vs Toynbee is a classic

Cherie's hair and gorgon face on opening the door to the paparazzi

LABOUR MP Chris Bryant advertising himself on a gay contact website.

Conand said...

+++ Breaking News +++

Dan Hannan's YouTube channel has just reached 3000 Subscribers.

+++ +++ +++ +++

Conand said...

Vice-President Joe Biden's channel has 2,541 Subscribers.

no longer anonymous said...

Sion Simon's media appearances.

Lexander said...

Shame you missed out my fav. Mandy telling us what a fighter he is after being kicked out! Point is, of course, the bugger proved to be right.

Paul Halsall said...

All in all it's a shame that More 4 seems to have taken off THE DAILY SHOW

Plenty said...

Gordon Brown picking his nose in PMQS.

Harriet Harman more recently making a Freudian slip about how many business were saved.

William Hague's baseball cap turn at Notting Hill.

And ofcourse, GORDON'S SAVED THE WORLD blunder last year.

List is endless isn't it!

http://www.plenty2say.com

Bond007 said...

Gordon Brown

Simon Gardner said...

Paul Halsall said...“All in all it's a shame that More 4 seems to have taken off THE DAILY SHOW”

They haven’t. Jon Stewart is on another of his innumerable vacations. I think you’ll find it will be back again on Tuesday. (Ditto Stephen Colbert on FX.)

Jon Lishman said...

Red Aussie PM Paul Keating - the "Lizard of Oz" - pawing Her Maj.

Git.

Wrinkled Weasel said...

I don't remember things but I think politicians are embarrassing most of the time.

It's the way they speak. Why don't they speak like normal people?

I wouldn't want one at a dinner party.

Lady Schwarz said...

My personal favourite was Tony Blair talking to Paxman about excepting donations:

TB- These are people that own the Express Newspapers
PAX- Yes
TB- Right well, in that case in my view, it's perfectly acceptable for us to take a donation from them.
PAX- They also own horny house wives, mega boobs, posh wives..... do you know what these magazines are like?
TB-..............no

Lady Schwarz said...

whoops, I meant *accepting* not expecting.

Anonymous said...

Two jags playing ,,hide the chippolata with the civil service typing pool

Blair and his trollop standing there while Reg Keys remembered his son speech in the Sedgewick elections , with his utter contempt
permeating the air

Blairs hand of history

On TV after the F1 scam with more slap than an Avon ladys sales winner of the year saying ...trust me I'm a pretty honest sort of guy!

Pickkles last week
Brown listening to Hannans political dissection last week
Smith last week
Heads of state waiting for brown to finish his slash
Brown meeting Obama ,simpering , then comming back with a full size cardboard cut out

Spitting image of steel/ owen becoming reality

thatchers vegetables take root

Thatcher thatcher milk snatcher

Blair and the wife of the dying cancer victim

Bush /Brown share toothpaste

Trollops flatgate and conman shennanegin's and subsequent apology

Brown french kissing the french presidents wife

The mushy peas incident

Neil Kinnock ever since his birth

Paxo and he who stalks the night on multiple truth avoidance

Leotards, lapping cats and robot dances.

Portillo looses

Kinnock wins

Im a fighter not a quitter

the banana moment
the india affair
bumfluff for a mustache

Jeffry Archer and his pimply back

Foot at the senataff

Derek Hatton in a cab at liverpool

Mellor drags his family to the gate
Chelsea shirts

Major/ Currie maneuvers

Sunny Jim ...what crisis?

Labour and the IMFPlanted questions and Urals tractor production stats

14 pints and baseball caps

Bunnies can and will go the france

lemsip thinks hes got cheeky

gawd ..once you start its hard to stop

Raedwald said...

I must be the only living person to remember the film clip of Margaret Beckett slaughtering 'House of the Rising Sun' to a karaoke machine at a long distant party conference. I suspect all the other witnesses have been ... disposed of.

Anonymous said...

hey, @ conand - this is a good one....

remember Cherie Blair opening the front door in her PJ's jimjams?! hehehe

:)

J said...

Derek Draper's existence.

Martin said...

What about fat boy Prescott getting into a punch up? Or fat boy Prescott playing Croquet? Or fat boy Prescott losing it when the fat tub or lard got found out taking a car 50 yards to the Liebour party conference?

What about walter Wolfgang being dragged out of the Liebour party conference by fat slobs reminding us of the famous Saddam Hussein conference where all his opponents were dragged away for execution.

What about Harriet Hatemenperson in her stab vest?

What about fatty Brown getting the middle finger from Obama the other week (total humiliation)

What about when Bliar got asked if he prayed with George Bush?

God there are hundreds involving the corrupt bunch of scumbags in power at the moment.

Unknown said...

Michael Foot in a shabby mac at the cenotaph.

Dick the Prick said...

Satsuma philophylaxic tesco bag dude - comedy death - Darwin cheered!!

Not a sheep said...

Gordon Brown picking his nose during Tiny Blair's PMQs.

Chris Paul said...

The Walter Wolfgang one is good value. But worse still were the stewardly hordes getting their stories straight in the pub ... at the next table to The Morning Star who had the exclusive the next day.

Chris Paul said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
Iain Dale said...

Chris Paul, you will not be surprised that I deleted your last comment as it was clearly libellous. If you do that again I will ban you from commenting here. behave.

The Military Wing Of The BBC said...

What's been going on behind the Speakers' chair?
Some kind of counter-spin operation?

Wrinkled Weasel said...

I notice Chris Paul has not rushed to repeat the libel on his own blog. Methinks he wants to sabotage you.

Nick R Thomas said...

Last night's Commons scrap (will Eric Pickles be declaring his second career as a fight promoter?)

The Mawhinney-Heseltine 'comedy double act' (ye gods!)

Victor, NW Kent said...

Surely all of these lists have to be of 10's or 100's.
Absurd to have a list of 7 - makes one think the compiler was actually thinking and not just counting.

Dual Citizen said...

@denverthen
Red Aussie PM Paul Keating - the "Lizard of Oz" - pawing Her Maj.

And the next day defending it by denouncing British colonialism ..

.. and the following day Ian Botham blasting a hundred and sending Australia crashing our of the world cup!

Git indeed!

Andy said...

The Most Embarrassing Moments in Politics?

How about the team from Total Politics failing to get full marks in a fairly simple politics round in last night's National Liberal Club quiz?

Yak40 said...

Labour elected to second and even third terms.

Andy said...

Can I just state the following here:

I emailed Iain Dale about his defeat in the quiz last night. He is very magnanimous in defeat. In fact, a very nice fellow.

I don't agree with his politics at all, but he's a nice guy.

Andy.

Andy said...

(this is coming from a failed LD council candidate.)

rajm said...

No mention of Neil Hamilton and the biscuit?

Simon Gardner said...

I rather thought John Prescott was thought to have come out well from the collision between his fist and the egger and so not an embarrassing moment at all.

Anonymous said...

Clip of Margaret Beckett slaughtering House of the Rising Sun at Karaoke here - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dGrmwjX8Hvg